Columns

I would like to thank William St. Louis for his Feb. 21 response to my Feb. 17 column. I sense that we may be close to agreement on several issues.
I see the erosion of the middle class, and so does Mr. St Louis. The point of disagreement seems to be my observation that many are focused only on leisure and recreation. Leisure and recreation are not evil in themselves. However, when these become an obsessive priority in life, it may reflect a sense of frustration and helplessness.

There was a time when the only discord in Van Wyck was how you should pronounce the name. Van Wick, Van Wack, Van Wike, there are plenty of arguments and plenty of people who “just know” the right way to say it.
OK, there are also people here still arguing the rights and wrongs of a case involving a dog that’s been dead for 20 years.

A note accompanying a recent gift from one of our donors included this perceptive sentence: “The rapidly escalating cost of pursuing an education at a four year, residential university emphasizes the importance of offering an alternative educational opportunity like USCL.”

Our great nation is in trouble.
We have unfathomable debt. Our government is big and getting bigger. There is a deep moral decay in our society. Our religious liberties are being threatened. Our national security and defense are weak.
But with God’s help, there is hope to turn things around if we elect people of strong character and proven leadership. Here are some reasons why Dr. Ben Carson fits that bill:

“There will be blood in South Carolina,” reads the headline of Camden resident Kathleen Parker’s syndicated Washington Post column about the presidential primaries in our state.
She’s probably right.
For Parker and just about everyone else who has looked at S.C. politics, and especially Republican presidential primaries, the big take away is that politics here are mean, nasty, racially charged battles. The recent Republican debate in Greenville shows that we’re probably heading for another new low this election.

Anais Nin once wrote, “...the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” To her, growth was a process that could often be impeded by a (completely reasonable) fear of the unknown. However, at some point, change must be embraced to deliver a fruitful future.

What happens when the working class is trapped in a society where their income barely sustains their lifestyle?
They don’t have enough money to save, and live paycheck to paycheck. They live one health crisis away from financial ruin. Borrowing is the only way to pay for many extras such as college.

I would like to present an observation from the Republican debates. I was watching to see who exhibited the qualities of a leader that I admire, and during one debate something came out that I remembered from my childhood.

When you were a child or young adult, was there someone in your life—a teacher, neighbor, relative, coach, friend or boss—who encouraged you, showed you the ropes, and helped you become who you are today. That person was a mentor to you.